Philadelphia Weekly

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Spectacular, electrifying, stupendous. Pick any acclamatory adjective you like and it most likely fits the Walnut Street Theatre's production of the hit musical Hairspray.

Based on John Waters' film, Hairspray takes place in 1962 Baltimore and follows the exploits of Tracey Turnblad, a vivacious teen with a dream of dancing on The Corny Collins Show (Baltimore's version of Philly's American Bandstand). Sadly, when Tracey auditions for the show she's rejected, in part because of her physical appearance--unlike the other girl dancers, she's not anorexic-thin--but also because of her declaration that the all-white show should be integrated.

Tracey is not to be deterred, though, and as Hairspray is an old-fashioned musical, we're confident her dreams of stardom and racial harmony will come true.

The book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan retains the film's campy sense of humor, and Marc Shaiman's music (he also contributes the clever lyrics along with Scott Whitman) is irresistibly buoyant. Featuring the showstopper "You Can't Stop the Beat," the score is an intoxicating mix of early 1960s-style pop and R&B.

Skillfully directed by Charles Abbott, the Walnut's briskly paced production is loaded with charming performances. Spirited newcomer Amy Toporek is terrific as the idealistic Tracey and Liz Kimball turns in a nifty performance as her loyal friend Penny. Other standouts in the large cast include Denise Whelan as a bigoted TV producer, Josh Young as the sexy heartthrob Link Larkin, Ben Dibble as the geeky and good-hearted TV host and Joliet Harris, who brings down the house as the feisty Motormouth Mabel. And in the key role of Tracey's beloved mother, Michael Walker is every inch the devoted and nurturing mom.

The Walnut's musicals typically have the precision of a well-trained military unit, but Hairspray boasts something more than professionalism. Call it the Obama factor; there's an added jolt of energy to the already vigorous musical. Mary Jane Houdina's choreography bristles with liveliness and Colleen Grady's fetching costumes burst with color. Even the opening-night audience was more enthused than usual. The election of the nation's first African-American president hasn't changed the world overnight, but Obama's victory gives Hairspray an added poignancy and makes Tracy's dream of racial unity appear a little closer to a reality.

Hairspray isn't the most profound show in theater history, but given the current economic crisis, the uplifting musical gives us a few hours to actually feel good about the world.

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While routine holiday fare dominates local stages, the Bristol Riverside Theater's intriguing production of Alan Ayckbourn's dark comedy Absurd Person Singular offers audiences something different. The shrewdly constructed three-act play takes us to the kitchens of three couples on three consecutive Christmas Eves. Sidney (Dan Hodge) and Jane (Kate Hampton in an award-worthy performance) are uncouth and dull to everyone except themselves, but their meteoric accumulation of wealth (spawned by Sidney's cutthroat business policies) has left them immune to social criticism. Incapable of knowing real happiness, they have a marriage that's more like a parlor game than a true union. Conversely, Geoffrey (Jack Koenig), his unhappy spouse Eva (Susan Riley Stevens) and their friends Ronald (the excellent Keith Baker) and his drunken wife Marion (Lisa Bostnar) are in economic and emotional freefall.

All three marriages in Absurd are dominated by misogynistic husbands who ignore their wives' needs. The men's self-centeredness would be sickening if it weren't so sad, and though the play is often funny it's also relentlessly despairing. In the end the entrepreneurial Sidney overtakes his upper-class acquaintances, but he's so emotionally fallow it doesn't feel like a triumph. Sitting in his darkened, heatless home on Christmas Eve, Ronald observes, "It's greatly overrated, this Christmas business." After spending time with Ayckbourn's unhappy couples, one might say the same of marriage. (J.C.R.) � Through Nov. 30. $29-$37. Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol. 215.785.0100. www.BRTStage.org